Meanwhile, aboard the Ragnarok, Zell, at the pilot's seat, was getting annoyed.
"Are we nearly there yet?" Rinoa asked for what must have been the hundredth time.
"Geez, Rinoa," Zell snapped, angrily, "I've told you already! We'll be there in fifteen minutes! Get some sleep or something!" Zell's head was pounding- a combination of his head injury and Rinoa's constant queries. However, Zell could see he'd upset her, so he tried to make amends.
"Aw, Geez, Rinoa," he started sympathetically, "I'm sorry, I'm just still on edge, that's all." Rinoa looked up, and smiled at him.
"That's OK," she said, "I'm just a little anxious, that's all. It's fine, honestly!" Zell nodded slowly, then asked a question of his own.
"The time might fly a bit quicker if you told me what your plan was." He'd been itching to know ever since she dragged him out of his quarters and forced him to pilot the Ragnarok for her. Rinoa, who been keeping quiet about her plan so far, decided to tell him.
"We're gonna find Ellone," she started, "and have her put me into Squall's mind. That way, I'll know where Seifer's taken him." Zell mulled the plan over for a while, then gave it his approval.
"Yeah," he said, "that should work. But what if Squall's-"
"He isn't dead, Zell." Rinoa answered, defiantly.
"Yeah, but Seifer may-"
"HE ISN'T DEAD, ZELL." Rinoa answered, even more defiantly. Zell opted not to question her this time. "If he was, I'd know. And don't ask me how I'd know, I just would." Zell nodded again, then his stomach growled- Rinoa's, well, persuasive methods had meant he'd missed lunch, and he was famished. I wonder if they have hot dogs in Esthar, he thought to himself. A few more minutes passed, before they both saw the familiar sight of Esthar air station.
"Better get on the radio, Rinn," Zell said, using what had become the common shortening of Rinoa's name. Rinoa nodded, and activated the transmitter.
"Esthar air station," Rinoa began, "this is Ragnarok requesting permission to land, over." The radio crackled before they got a response.
"Ragnarok," the voice began, "you are not listed on our arrivals sheet. Please state your intentions for visiting Esthar. Over." Oops, Rinoa thought, I should have got Cid to call ahead for us… However, it wasn't the first time she'd had to talk her way out of a situation. She'd led a resistance group in the heart of Galbaldia, for crying out loud! She could handle a simple air traffic controller. Unfortunately, Zell didn't want to wait, and took the initiative on her behalf.
"We're here to see Ellone!" The young SeeD said into the radio, forcefully. Oh, Zell… Rinoa thought, angrily. He may well have blown their chances of getting into Esthar. She wondered if they had any parachutes...
"Identify yourself please. Over," the radio said again. Quickly, Rinoa clamped her hand over Zell's mouth, and making herself heard over his muffled but loud grumblings, answered the radio.
"We're high-ranking SeeDs from Balamb Garden," she answered. "Contact Headmaster Cid if you don't believe us. Over." She removed her hand from Zell's mouth.
"What're you talking about?" He asked. "You're not a SeeD!"
"I'm the next best thing," Rinoa answered. However, before Zell could argue back, the radio crackled into life again.
"Permission to land granted, Ragnarok," the radio said as Rinoa shot an "I told you so" smile at Zell. "Enjoy your stay in Esthar. Over and out." Rinoa sat back down as Zell expertly landed the Ragnarok on an unoccupied landing space. They disembarked, to be greeted by the familiar faces of Ward and Kiros. Kiros addressed them.
"Where's Squall?" He asked. "Is he not with you?"
"That's why we're here," Rinoa responded. "We need to see Ellone, urgently." Kiros nodded- he'd had no reason to mistrust the SeeDs before, so he ushered them onto the monorail. Once they were on, he saw Ward staring, silently, at Zell. Kiros interjected.
"Ward says," he started, "that he'd have like some tattoos like that when he was your age." Ward smiled, his message conveyed accurately by Kiros, as always, and sat up straight. Eventually, they arrived at the presidential palace, where Ward and Kiros showed them up to Ellone's room.
"We'll have to leave you now, I'm afraid," Kiros said, "You never know when Laguna's going to need us next." Rinoa and Zell waved as Ward and Kiros walked off down the corridor. When they were gone, Rinoa knocked on the door. Ellone's familiar voice came from inside.
"Who is it?" She asked. Rinoa didn't hesitate to answer.
"It's Rinoa," she said, before noticing Zell gesturing beside her. "And Zell," she continued. "We need your help."
"Just a second," Ellone answered, before opening the door to them. She looked around, then asked- "Where's Squally?" Rinoa looked down, briefly.
"That's why we're here. We need your help." Ellone could sense the concern in Rinoa's voice.
"Come in..." she said. Rinoa and Zell entered, and sat down on her couch. Rinoa spoke up.
"Squall's been captured," she said. Ellone gasped- although she knew that Squall worked for a military organisation, and the likelihood of him being hurt was high; to actually hear the words was a shock to her. However, she was at a loss to work out how she could help.
"Then how can I help?" Ellone asked, thinking out loud.
"We need to know where he is," Rinoa answered. "We were wondering, uh," she stuttered as she tried to find the words. Zell decided the words for her.
"She wants you to put her mind in Squall's body, so she can figure out where he is," he said. Ellone sighed- it wasn't going to be easy, explaining to them the limits of her powers.
"It's not that simple," she explained, "I can only access memories that have been there for some time. I won't be able to take you to any recent ones." Rinoa waved her hand dismissively.
"That's OK," Rinoa said, wanting to get on with it. "Just put me in the most recent you can."
"You're sure about this?" Ellone asked Rinoa.
"Short of a worldwide search," Rinoa answered, "you're our only hope of finding him." Ellone sighed, and nodded.
"OK then," she said. From her correspondence with Squall (they wrote to each other at least once a fortnight), she knew how much he loved her- it seems her love for him was equally as strong. "Lie down," she instructed Rinoa. Rinoa did so, and closed her eyes.
"How recent will the memories be?" She asked Ellone, while Zell moved off the couch to make room for Rinoa.
"At least a day old," Ellone answered. "Are you ready?" Rinoa nodded. "Good," Ellone continued. "You may feel some disorientation," she said as she leaned back, and shut her eyes. Immediately, for Rinoa, the room started spinning, and she quickly passed out.
"Are we nearly there yet?" Rinoa asked for what must have been the hundredth time.
"Geez, Rinoa," Zell snapped, angrily, "I've told you already! We'll be there in fifteen minutes! Get some sleep or something!" Zell's head was pounding- a combination of his head injury and Rinoa's constant queries. However, Zell could see he'd upset her, so he tried to make amends.
"Aw, Geez, Rinoa," he started sympathetically, "I'm sorry, I'm just still on edge, that's all." Rinoa looked up, and smiled at him.
"That's OK," she said, "I'm just a little anxious, that's all. It's fine, honestly!" Zell nodded slowly, then asked a question of his own.
"The time might fly a bit quicker if you told me what your plan was." He'd been itching to know ever since she dragged him out of his quarters and forced him to pilot the Ragnarok for her. Rinoa, who been keeping quiet about her plan so far, decided to tell him.
"We're gonna find Ellone," she started, "and have her put me into Squall's mind. That way, I'll know where Seifer's taken him." Zell mulled the plan over for a while, then gave it his approval.
"Yeah," he said, "that should work. But what if Squall's-"
"He isn't dead, Zell." Rinoa answered, defiantly.
"Yeah, but Seifer may-"
"HE ISN'T DEAD, ZELL." Rinoa answered, even more defiantly. Zell opted not to question her this time. "If he was, I'd know. And don't ask me how I'd know, I just would." Zell nodded again, then his stomach growled- Rinoa's, well, persuasive methods had meant he'd missed lunch, and he was famished. I wonder if they have hot dogs in Esthar, he thought to himself. A few more minutes passed, before they both saw the familiar sight of Esthar air station.
"Better get on the radio, Rinn," Zell said, using what had become the common shortening of Rinoa's name. Rinoa nodded, and activated the transmitter.
"Esthar air station," Rinoa began, "this is Ragnarok requesting permission to land, over." The radio crackled before they got a response.
"Ragnarok," the voice began, "you are not listed on our arrivals sheet. Please state your intentions for visiting Esthar. Over." Oops, Rinoa thought, I should have got Cid to call ahead for us… However, it wasn't the first time she'd had to talk her way out of a situation. She'd led a resistance group in the heart of Galbaldia, for crying out loud! She could handle a simple air traffic controller. Unfortunately, Zell didn't want to wait, and took the initiative on her behalf.
"We're here to see Ellone!" The young SeeD said into the radio, forcefully. Oh, Zell… Rinoa thought, angrily. He may well have blown their chances of getting into Esthar. She wondered if they had any parachutes...
"Identify yourself please. Over," the radio said again. Quickly, Rinoa clamped her hand over Zell's mouth, and making herself heard over his muffled but loud grumblings, answered the radio.
"We're high-ranking SeeDs from Balamb Garden," she answered. "Contact Headmaster Cid if you don't believe us. Over." She removed her hand from Zell's mouth.
"What're you talking about?" He asked. "You're not a SeeD!"
"I'm the next best thing," Rinoa answered. However, before Zell could argue back, the radio crackled into life again.
"Permission to land granted, Ragnarok," the radio said as Rinoa shot an "I told you so" smile at Zell. "Enjoy your stay in Esthar. Over and out." Rinoa sat back down as Zell expertly landed the Ragnarok on an unoccupied landing space. They disembarked, to be greeted by the familiar faces of Ward and Kiros. Kiros addressed them.
"Where's Squall?" He asked. "Is he not with you?"
"That's why we're here," Rinoa responded. "We need to see Ellone, urgently." Kiros nodded- he'd had no reason to mistrust the SeeDs before, so he ushered them onto the monorail. Once they were on, he saw Ward staring, silently, at Zell. Kiros interjected.
"Ward says," he started, "that he'd have like some tattoos like that when he was your age." Ward smiled, his message conveyed accurately by Kiros, as always, and sat up straight. Eventually, they arrived at the presidential palace, where Ward and Kiros showed them up to Ellone's room.
"We'll have to leave you now, I'm afraid," Kiros said, "You never know when Laguna's going to need us next." Rinoa and Zell waved as Ward and Kiros walked off down the corridor. When they were gone, Rinoa knocked on the door. Ellone's familiar voice came from inside.
"Who is it?" She asked. Rinoa didn't hesitate to answer.
"It's Rinoa," she said, before noticing Zell gesturing beside her. "And Zell," she continued. "We need your help."
"Just a second," Ellone answered, before opening the door to them. She looked around, then asked- "Where's Squally?" Rinoa looked down, briefly.
"That's why we're here. We need your help." Ellone could sense the concern in Rinoa's voice.
"Come in..." she said. Rinoa and Zell entered, and sat down on her couch. Rinoa spoke up.
"Squall's been captured," she said. Ellone gasped- although she knew that Squall worked for a military organisation, and the likelihood of him being hurt was high; to actually hear the words was a shock to her. However, she was at a loss to work out how she could help.
"Then how can I help?" Ellone asked, thinking out loud.
"We need to know where he is," Rinoa answered. "We were wondering, uh," she stuttered as she tried to find the words. Zell decided the words for her.
"She wants you to put her mind in Squall's body, so she can figure out where he is," he said. Ellone sighed- it wasn't going to be easy, explaining to them the limits of her powers.
"It's not that simple," she explained, "I can only access memories that have been there for some time. I won't be able to take you to any recent ones." Rinoa waved her hand dismissively.
"That's OK," Rinoa said, wanting to get on with it. "Just put me in the most recent you can."
"You're sure about this?" Ellone asked Rinoa.
"Short of a worldwide search," Rinoa answered, "you're our only hope of finding him." Ellone sighed, and nodded.
"OK then," she said. From her correspondence with Squall (they wrote to each other at least once a fortnight), she knew how much he loved her- it seems her love for him was equally as strong. "Lie down," she instructed Rinoa. Rinoa did so, and closed her eyes.
"How recent will the memories be?" She asked Ellone, while Zell moved off the couch to make room for Rinoa.
"At least a day old," Ellone answered. "Are you ready?" Rinoa nodded. "Good," Ellone continued. "You may feel some disorientation," she said as she leaned back, and shut her eyes. Immediately, for Rinoa, the room started spinning, and she quickly passed out.